[Launch Alert] Vandenberg AFB Launch Schedule

Sun Apr 1 10:24:06 EDT 2007

                             LAUNCH ALERT

			            Brian Webb
		         Ventura County, California
		         E-mail: kd6nrp at earthlink.net
	             Web Site: www.spacearchive.info

				               2007 April 1 (Sunday) 06:12 PDT
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		       VANDENBERG AFB LAUNCH SCHEDULE
			       As of 2007 March 31

		            Launch
		          Time/Window
    Date	           (PST/PDT)	       Vehicle	      Pad/Silo
------------	  ---------------		----------		--------

Early Spring	  To be announced       GBI			---
An anti-missile interceptor launched from Vandenberg AFB will attempt
to intercept a mock warhead launched from Kodiak, Alaska. This test is
very similar to the test conducted on 2006 SEP 1. Test delayed from
December-January to allow for software changes and upgrades to the
interceptor. The DoD will announce the exact launch time several hours
in advance

APR 25		  13:23:34-13:30:03	Pegasus XL		Offshore
Vehicle will be air-dropped from an L-1011 jumbo jet staged from
Vandenberg AFB. Payload is the AIM scientific satellite. Targeted
launch time is 13:26:49

NET NOV 8		  To be announced		Delta II		SLC-2W
Payload is the Missile Defense Agency's Block 2010 satellite

Unknown		  To be announced		Delta II		SLC-2W
Payload is the Italian COSMO-SkyMed-1 Earth imaging satellite

Unknown		  To be announced		Atlas V		SLC-3E
Classified National Reconnaissance Office payload. The DoD will
announce the exact launch time several hours in advance. NROL-28

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	                   ASTRONOMICAL EVENTS
			            2007 April
                 Computed for Los Angeles, California

		        Time
  Date		(PST/PDT)		            Event
--------		---------		-----------------------------

APR 2			10:15			Full Moon
Moon rises at sunset, sets at sunrise, and is visible all night

APR 7			07:00			Conjunction
The Moon passes 0.6° south of Antares. Time of closest approach and
separation computed for the Earth's center and may vary significantly
depending on your location

APR 10		11:04			Last Quarter Moon
Moon rises at midnight and sets at noon

APR 14-15		---			Dark Sky Weekend
Best time this month to observe faint objects. Amateur astronomers may
hold observing sessions at dark sites

APR 17		04:36			New Moon
Moon passes between the Earth and the Sun and is invisible. Moon rises
at sunrise and sets at sunset

APR 23		23:36			First Quarter Moon
Moon rises at noon and sets at midnight

APR 25		03:00			Conjunction
The Moon passes 1.1° north of Saturn. Time of closest approach and
separation computed for the Earth's center and may vary significantly
depending on your location

APR 26		02:00			Conjunction
The Moon passes 1.0° north of Regulus. Time of closest approach and
separation computed for the Earth's center and may vary significantly
depending on your location

APR 29		23:13			Occultation
The Moon passes in front of the +4.9 magnitude star psi Virginis. The
star disappears at 23:13:54. The reappearance is not visible. Time
computed for downtown Los Angeles and will vary for other locations

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                          WEB SITE UPDATES

The following news stories were recently added to the Space Archive
web site:

  Long Wavelength Array Prototype Sees First Light
  www.spacearchive.info/news-2007-03-29-nrl.htm

  Cassini Images Bizarre Hexagon on Saturn
  www.spacearchive.info/news-2007-03-28-ua.htm

  Arizona Telescope to get Billion-Pixel Camera
  www.spacearchive.info/news-2007-03-21-iu.htm

  Vandenberg Launch to Exercise Massive Radar
  www.spacearchive.info/news-2007-03-20-kclu.mp3

An image of the March 20 target missile launch from Vandenberg AFB is
posted at www.spacearchive.info under the heading "Fleeting Glimpse".

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                     ASTRONOMY/SPACE ROUNDTABLE

An informal astronomy/space discission is scheduled for today from
noon to 13:00 PDT in the 40-meter amateur radio band. The primary
frequency is 7,247.0 kHz. The backups are 7,230.0 and 7,212.0 kHz.

This weekly roundtable is in the general class voice portion of the
band and covers California, Nevada, Utah, and Arizona.

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